No charges: Youths admit accidentally starting Mt Wellington blaze

A group of youths won't be charged after admitting to accidentally starting a fire which ripped through scrub on an Auckland maunga.

The large fire on Mt Wellington began just after 8pm yesterday and could seen from across the city.

A police spokesperson today confirmed officers spoke with three youths at the scene and were satisfied the fire was accidental.

No charges would be laid.

Resident Alistair Hayward said the fire was quite big, "surprisingly big".

The fire could be seen for miles.

The location of the blaze proved tricky for firefighters to get to, as it could only be accessed by a steep mountain pass - forcing firefighters battle the blaze from the road around 50m away, Hayward said.

"It was very close to quite a big patch of pine trees and it was touch and go whether those trees were going to go up in flames," he said.

Hayward said firefighters did a great job in containing the blaze, as a row of brand-new townhouses were under threat of being consumed by it.